The Game
by Kyogre
Summary: Complete. Gray and Ultear pretend to date. Also, hunt a secret cult. And also, politics. (GrayTear, post-Tenrou, slight AU)
1. Chapter 1

**Notes:** I don't even know. I wanted to try a light-hearted romcom about GrayTear pretending to date? But it's not really funny at all? And instead there's some weird plot-like thing going on? And halfway through I start dragging Juvia? Whatever.

 **Summary:** Gray and Ultear pretend to date. Also, they hunt a secret cult. And also, politics.

~.~.~

 **Part 1**

"Ultear, I need your help," Gray hissed urgently as he dragged her around a corner.

For her part, Ultear just let her eyebrows rise meaningfully. She could already tell that this would be either ridiculous or hilarious, or both — given the way Gray was glancing nervously behind him and actually jumped at the sound of quickly approaching footsteps.

Apparently, she took too long to give a response. Eyes darting behind him again as the footsteps drew closer, Gray turned back to her with a determined, fatalistic expression. "Sorry, please don't kill me," he said — and leaned in, pressing his lips to hers.

The touch was dry, cool, and completely unromantic. The only point of contact was their lips and Gray's hand on her arm. It was what some countries considered a greeting between friends, the only difference that Gray didn't pull away, remaining stock still in the same liplock.

Ultear's eyebrows rose higher at the — yes, it really was a — kiss.

"Gray-sama~~ah—"

'So that's what it is,' Ultear thought, resisting the urge to snort or maybe sigh. 'Well, I guess I'll help him out...'

Yes, it was certainly because Gray asked for her help, not because of any ulterior motives. It was just a pretend kiss to throw off an overly-persistent suitor, nothing more.

Angling her face slightly, she pressed closer. Her lips parted, and the kiss deepened — becoming warmer, a little slick and wet. One hand slipped over the back of Gray's neck, to keep him from pulling away in surprise, the other coming up to lay on his shoulder. Letting her eyes slip shut, Ultear swayed against Gray, their bodies touching and shifting. She hadn't noticed before, but of course he'd lost his shirt a while back.

Gray made a quiet sound of surprise, his hands resting over her waist lightly, as if afraid to do more than that.

"—aaaaaahhh—"

Finally, Ultear drew back. But only a little, just far enough to study Gray's face. He'd closed his eyes too, at some point, and they only just fluttered open, staring at her in a daze. Ultear smiled, slightly smug. Leaning in, she whispered in his ear, "If you're desperate enough to go this far, go all the way. I know you can do better than a schoolyard peck."

"—erk." With a last shocked, strangled sound, Juvia collapsed into a puddle of faintly steaming water.

"About time," Ultear noted, glancing over at her. "So you finally decided to be serious about turning her down?"

"R-right..." Gray muttered, sounding rather strangled himself. "I mean, yes. That's right. Yes. I tried telling her I wasn't interested, but she never listens. Mira said she won't give up until she 'loses' when I start dating someone else. But she doesn't take other guys seriously, so it would need to be a woman, and someone who could deal with Juvia if she got jealous, so..."

"So — me," Ultear concluded, listening to his increasingly flustered rambling with an amused expression.

"Well, it was you or Erza, but Erza's terrible at lying and I'm not sure I'd survive her," Gray admitted. He kept glancing at Ultear with an expression of hunted apprehension.

"While I'm good at lying and won't kill you," Ultear said mildly, leaving Gray to try to guess if she was offended.

For a moment, Ultear considered pretending to be angry. It was certainly something a woman could get angry over, being kissed suddenly just to throw someone off. But... it wasn't as if she hated it. It had been a long time since she kissed someone. Even longer since it had been anything but pretense. No, thinking about, had she ever been honest in an intimate relationship?

She didn't hate it. It was the opposite. And if it was to help Gray, then surely it would be okay to indulge a little...

"Well, I can't argue with the first one, and it seems you lucked out on the second," Ultear went on instead, her amused smile giving away nothing of her thoughts. "You're also right that I'm not scared of Meldy's little friend... Alright, I'll help you."

Gray's shoulders slumped in relief. "Thanks," he said, then made a puzzled face. "But you already did."

It really had been a completely spur of the moment action on his part. He hadn't thought through the logistics of the charade at all. Ultear looked at him scolding disbelief. "Do you really think that'll be enough to convince her?" she asked. "And since she passed out, she'll probably just write it off as a nightmare."

Glancing at Juvia, still a steaming puddle that was murmuring nonsense to herself, Gray had to acknowledge the truth in what Ultear was saying. He swallowed heavily, going pale — but his cheeks still flushed, creating a nearly feverish contrast.

"We'll have to be a lot more convincing," Ultear confirmed. "We're going to have to actually date."

Gray's expression of absolute horror at the prospect of dating her might have been insulting, if it hadn't been so amusing. It was also not entirely unfounded.

~.~.~

The first part of making your lies believable was getting someone to corroborate them. If just Ultear and Gray claimed to be involved, Juvia could conceivably figure out that they were making it up — or even just cling to that explanation in pure denial. But if someone else confirmed their story... well.

Meldy and Jellal watched Ultear with growing weariness after she gathered them to "discuss something important."

"When we founded Crime Sorciere two years ago," she began, "we agreed on a certain rule... that we would not get involved with those who walk the path of light."

She paused, waiting to see if either of them would jump to the obvious conclusion, but there was no comments forthcoming. Meldy and Jellal only waited, frowning faintly. Ultear took a deep breath. If anything, their reaction just confirmed the other benefit she thought might come from playing along with Gray — for their sake, to correct an unfortunate trajectory they had assumed due to her poor choices as their leader.

"At the time," Ultear went on, "it felt like the most logical thing. We are wanted criminals, operating without permission from the League of Guilds, and our purpose goes against the Magic Council's laws about inter-guild conflict. To become involved with someone who lives a law-abiding existence would only cause them trouble and put all of us in danger. However, as you must have realized, there was another reason as well."

"It is our penance," Jellal responded this time, his expression pensive. "To remain alone, except for each other, our comrades in seeking redemption."

"...Right," Ultear said. And this — this was the reason she needed to make corrections. She hadn't intended to get Jellal so fixated on making himself miserable, and she especially didn't want Meldy to follow along and spend the rest of her life chasing an impossible ideal. "That was something I thought at the time," she admitted. "But I was wrong."

Meldy and Jellal looked at her as if she'd said the sun rose in the west. Really, it was beyond foolish. They, of all people, should have been aware of Ultear's many shortcomings and failures.

"Listen to me," Ultear said firmly, looking each of them in the eye in turn. "It's true that we've committed sins that we must strive to atone for. But that atonement is part of finding our way back to the light. Someday — someday soon — I want all of us to be free of our sins and able to live as we please. Including loving and being loved by other people."

'And I'm going to lead by example, if that's what it takes,' she added mentally. '...Faked example, but it's the same principle.'

The other two exchanged a long, unreadable look. Oddly, it was Ultear's turn to feel a thrill of weariness.

"So... you're going to date Gray?" Meldy said finally.

"...ugh," Ultear was unable to stop from letting a sound at this verbal direct hit. She hadn't expected that. "W-why do you think that?"

Jellal and Meldy exchanged another look. Suddenly, Ultear felt very off-balance. "Well, you really like him," Meldy pointed out diplomatically. "You think about him a lot, and he and Erza are why we're teaming up with Fairy Tail, right? ...Also, you smeared your lipstick a bit, so it looks like you guys kissed."

Rallying herself, Ultear cleared her throat and said, "Yes, that's right. I'm going to date Gray. Since we'll have a lot of downtime on this extended mission, we're going to... see if it can work between us."

"You couldn't stand to turn him down, huh?" Jellal assumed — somewhat incorrectly, but not entirely — looking both vaguely disapproving and very sympathetic. He sighed forlornly. "It's hard, breaking their hearts when they put themselves on the line..."

He trailed off into brooding, no doubt remembering some overture Erza had made and which he had turned down for his noble, self-flagellating reasons. That poor woman, honestly, Ultear felt so sorry for her. If nothing else, Erza had the patience of a saint.

"Congratulations," Meldy said, smiling at Ultear. "I'm happy for you, Ul. No matter what happens, we'll support you." Reaching over, she laid her hand over Ultear's and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Ultear nodded and pressed on to her original purpose. "But I can't just hypocritically do whatever I want. That's why I want to officially strike out that rule," she said. "Are we in agreement?"

"Of course," Meldy agreed cheerfully.

"Yes, of course," Jellal said, far more subdued. Well, he was no doubt planning to still follow it himself. He'd take some work, but for now, Ultear would accept this.

...Still. They were awfully quick to accept her new "relationship" with Gray. Was it really that obvious...? Ah, well. Sighing, Ultear tried not to think about it.

~.~.~

Unlike Ultear, Gray made no move to inform anyone of his new relationship status. A private person by nature, he couldn't just stand up in the middle of lunch and declare, "By the way, I'm dating Ultear now. Hope no one minds."

For one thing, he was sure there would be plenty of minding, and not just from Juvia.

Speaking of Juvia, she had managed to re-solidify herself in time for the strategy meeting, though her expression was vacant and her body occasionally rippled in a rather alarming way. Gray edged away from her, but for once she didn't even seem to notice, staring blankly into space.

He couldn't help twitching a little when Ultear settled next to him. The smile she sent him was decidedly amused, which made Gray scowl. 'At least someone is enjoying this,' he thought mutinously, even though that was unfair to Ultear. He was the one who'd asked her for help, after all. In fact, the entire situation was his fault for not finding a better way.

"...ah." Juvia's head slowly rotated toward them, looking rather like a creepy, blank-faced marionette.

Gray shuddered, feeling an impending sense of doom, but Ultear only stared back with an equally blank, very cold expression. True to her word, Ultear was not in the least bit afraid. Cold sweat beaded across Gray's back and he desperately wished for a coat or three.

The tension was broken when Meldy slid an arm around Juvia's shoulders, crouching next to her. Her expression was painfully sympathetic. And that — also true to Ultear's plans — was what finally seemed to drive reality in.

Juvia's mouth dropped open and her eyes swam with tears. "J-Juvia... lost?" she murmured helplessly. "That can't be..."

Meldy patted her back comfortingly.

"No! Juvia won't accept that! Juvia's love can't lose!" Juvia declared, springing to her feet. Her fists clenched, and she spun around to glare at Ultear again. The edges of her body began to waver again, but purposefully this time. Juvia was preparing for battle.

Undaunted, Ultear stared back and lifted her chin haughtily. Behind her, Gray considered the possibility of replacing himself with an ice clone and making a run for it. But no, he owed it to Ultear to at least stay and cheer for her, since this was his mess to begin with...

"What is going on here?"

A cold voice cut through the mounting killing intent — just as sharply as Erza's sword cut through enemies. Standing in the doorway, Titania surveyed the room imperiously. Behind her, Natsu and Lucy both cringed, despite being obviously outside her ire.

"Nothing! Nothing at all," Gray said quickly. "We were just waiting for you to get back."

Erza's eyes narrowed, but after a tense moment, she seemed to accept his words. "My apologies," she said, striding inside. "Natsu didn't make it back to the rendezvous point, so it became necessary to double back to retrieve him." Slinking in behind her, Natsu flinched. There was a new bump on his head, to mark Erza's displeasure.

"Got lost, flame for brains?" Gray smirked.

"Shut up!" Natsu hissed back. "That squirrel looked really delicious, okay?"

Lucy sighed, Happy snickered, and Erza slowly turned to pin them both with a threatening look. Once satisfied that everyone was in a sufficiently serious mindset, Erza faced the entire group and cleared her throat.

"Let's begin," she said. She paused, her eyes narrowing again. "Does everyone remember why we're here?"

"To beat up some dark guild!" Natsu volunteered.

Displaying some of that saintly patience, Erza managed to keep from hitting him. Just barely. "We are here to investigate," she said slowly and pointedly, "the possible presence of a widespread black magic cult."

"Right, and then we're going to beat them up," Natsu insisted stubbornly.

"It's possible presence — possible," Erza emphasized. "Currently, we don't have any solid leads, except rumors of strange gatherings taking place at the old monastery in Mikage Forest."

"However, we have noticed a lot of small inconsistencies and worrying trends," Ultear spoke up. "They're all minor things, but to sum up — there is a pattern of signs that point to people moving in and out of this region regularly, while seeking to hide their presence."

This region being the far side of Iceberg. Despite the name, Iceberg was characterized by gently sloping green plains and river valleys. It was also several times bigger than Fiore and sparsely populated, making it hard to scout out properly with just three people.

Thus, Crime Sorciere had asked Fairy Tail for help.

They had first met up at the abandoned wayhouse, once a layover point on a shipping route for a trade guild that no longer existed, about three days prior and, after a quick discussion, had separated to do some preliminary scouting.

Unfortunately, Gray and Juvia had been among those to return first, leaving Gray to dodge her affections in a confined space for days on end. Quickly reaching his limits and growing desperate at the prospect of having to partner and be alone with her for the duration of the extended mission, he had then come up with his very stupid idea...

"That's why I had you go to the forest and use that nose of yours," Erza said, pursing her lips in annoyance. "You did do that, didn't you, Natsu?"

"Huh? That's what we were doing...? I mean, yeah! Definitely!" Natsu corrected himself quickly. He crossed his arms, his face screwing up in thought. "People's scents don't stay long, you know? So it's hard to tell. You told me not to go in far too," he added accusingly. "But there was a bunch of trails, and not from hunters — too messy. They were used pretty recently. So I'd say a bunch of people not from around here have been coming and going."

Erza nodded slowly, acknowledging his words. "That matches to what Lucy and I heard from the local villagers," she said. "They haven't seen anyone traveling openly. But at night, there's strange figures walking the roads every few months, always heading to or from the forest." She added, in an unreadable tone, "It's considered cursed."

"That is probably for the best," Jellal said, drawing attention to himself for the first time since slipping into the room before even Gray or Juvia. "If someone went in there during a gathering..."

"They wouldn't come out," Erza finished, frowning. "If we've figured out the schedules correctly, the next gathering should be in about a month. For now, we're going to canvas the region and try to track back to where these people are coming from. If we can't get any leads, we'll have to spy on the meeting. Until then, we'll be splitting up into groups to cover more ground."

"I'll go with Gray," Ultear said immediately, managing to beat out Juvia, who was about the suggest the same thing. Smoothly, she explained, "It's very rural here, so there's little chance of anyone being recognized, especially with the Magic Council... indisposed. But we should still split up Crime Sorciere."

"That's a good idea," Erza agreed. "Then I'll go with Jellal. Juvia, you can go with Meldy." The corner of her lips twitched a little. "Lucy, I'm trusting you to keep Natsu in line."

Absolutely none of those mentioned looked pleased with the arrangement.

"Hey," Natsu protested scowling.

"That's asking the impossible!" Lucy complained.

"Is that really a good idea...?" Jellal wondered under his breath, studiously not looking anywhere close to Erza's direction.

"Juvia wants to go with Gray-sama!"

"Oh boy..." Meldy sighed, seeing a lot of water in her future.

"Quiet," Erza said flatly, and there was immediate silence. She did consider rearranging the teams for a moment, but in the end, this was the most logical combination, and Erza only nodded to herself. "We'll use this old wayhouse as a base. You can come and go at your discretion, but everyone must be back in three weeks, so we can decide how to proceed. Are there any questions?"

"Juvia wants to—"

"Aside from that," Erza said.

"Can we eat now? I'm hungry," Natsu said.

Erza closed her eyes. "Aside from that too," she said.

There were not.

~.~.~

"Don't flinch. That's not very believable at all," Ultear chided him quietly. As had become normal, she looked distinctly amused when he flinched again at the feeling of her curves pressing against his side.

"R-right..." Gray muttered, carefully shifting his hand to better wrap around hers. It was an effort not to jump when she squeezed gently. Did they really need to hold hands, he wanted to moan. But that did seem to be something a couple would do. And... "I can't believe they're blowing off their own mission to follow us," he grumbled.

Ultear frowned a little, not particularly impressed either. "They're not going to get anything done just following us," she said. "Honestly... Well, we'd better convince her quickly. So we can all concentrate on the real issue."

She had planned to take it easy with the dating game, but it seemed she'd have to step things up.

Gray should have seen it coming, but it was still a shock when Ultear used their joined hands to tug him down a little and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. He made another strangled sound — but at least he didn't flinch this time. Or trip over his own feet.

The sky was suddenly very cloudy.

~.~.~

Ultear and Gray's assigned task was hitting up the local dark guilds and criminal groups to see what information they had. Ultear had the best connections, even several years after leaving Grimoire Heart, and she was certainly the best at getting information out of people, after all.

Of course, "local dark guilds" in a pastoral heartland like Iceberg were more like small time bandit gangs, and barely existent at that. The biggest obstacle was finding any criminals in the first place.

So it was fortunate that the usual Fairy Tail luck kicked, and they were accosted by probably the only bandit group within five hundred square kilometers while just peacefully walking along.

There were five of them, all unshaven and unwashed, dressed in muddy breeches and stained shirts and wielding an assortment of cheap weapons. They had ambushed the pair where the road passed in a narrow space between two hills, blocking off the only way out on both sides. "Hand over all you've got, and you won't get hurt," the apparent leader growled, brandishing his knife threateningly.

It was almost insulting. No one in Fiore even dared trying to pull this nonsense. There was just too much chance of hitting the one in ten wizard who would retaliate brutally. Sighing, Gray put his hands together.

The bandits shrieked in fear and shock as ice spread over the road, pinning down their legs.

"Y-you! It's you!" one of them yelled.

"Please, we didn't know! It's too early!" another sobbed.

Gray and Ultear exchanged a look. "Oh? You recognize us? Perhaps we're just a pair of passing wizards," Ultear suggested, smiling mysteriously — dangerously. Crossing his arms, Gray did his best to ominously loom behind her, like some kind of dumb brute enforcer type. He felt a bit like Ultear was laughing at him again, even if her attention never wavered from her targets.

"A-a dangerous sexy woman and a scruffy good-looking man! Y-you're with them!" the apparent leader stammered. He had dropped his knife and appeared to be on the edge of wetting himself in terror. "But it's too early, please, we would've never done it if we realized!"

'Scruffy?' Gray thought.

"You know a lot," Ultear said with a dangerous sort of blandness.

"Greenbridge! Greenbridge told everyone, so we'd stay out of the way!" the bandit moaned. "Please!"

"Just about us?"

"A cute girl with pink hair, a clown-looking thing with a doll, and a fat bald man! Please, that's all we know!"

At first, Gray had thought that the bandits had mistaken him for Jellal, and the warnings had been about Crime Sorciere, but the full list was too long for that. These had to be the people moving in and out of Iceberg. Ultear had been right when she said the local rats would know the most details, even if they had no context for them. It was still too vague to be called a lead, but it was a start.

Ultear hummed vaguely in acknowledgment and turned away from the trembling criminals. Reaching up, she ran her fingers through Gray's hair — nearly making him twitch again. "Hear that? He thinks you're looking scruffy," she murmured, leaning in and pressing up against him. "But I think it suits you, sweetheart."

Gray may have choked a little, but somehow managed to keep a straight face. "Should I grow it out a little more, dear?" he shot back.

"No..." Ultear judged. "You'd start looking like our friend then. Maybe you should brush it back instead." Her fingers trailed over his cheek and up to his forehead, where she pushed back his bangs. Her voice lowering, Ultear added, "I like seeing your eyes."

Keeping a straight face was... increasingly difficult.

Nearby, one of the bandits yelped as a piece of hail the size of a cherry hit him square in the forehead. More hail began to pelt down brutally, as the criminals moaned and begged for mercy.

Hidden atop one of the hills, Meldy winced. "Juvia, quit it," she hissed. "That hurts!"

"Juviiiiiiin," Juvia ground out, a burning glare fixed on Ultear's figure below. "Juvia won't lose..."

Easily dispersing any ice before it could come near her, Ultear let her smile widen smugly. Their plan was proceeding well — according to her, anyway.

~.~.~


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

"Greenbridge is a trade guild," Ultear explained later. "They're based in the capital, Romaine. That's where we were headed anyway." She added dryly, "They're also smugglers and money launderers, and I doubt there's any criminal worth mentioning in the entire country who isn't somehow on their payroll."

"There's criminals worth mentioning in this country?" Gray grumbled. "Everyone says Fiore is pretty backwater, but this..."

Ultear laughed, simple and happy. It was probably the first time Gray had heard her honest laughter, and it made his stomach twist rather alarmingly. Probably because she was still arm in arm, side to side with him. He wasn't used to being so close to someone for so long — not even Juvia, whose displays of affection he had done his best to escape as quickly as possible.

"You're really going to say that? We're from Isvan, remember?" she said, still smiling. "Well, it's precisely because Iceberg has nothing to its name except vegetables and livestock, that it's something of a smuggling haven. It borders many of the northern countries, and it exports all across the continent. And the low population means there's less law enforcement. What goes on here is nothing to make headlines, really, but the criminal element is still strong in its own way."

"Our mystery cult is probably using the same thing, you think?" Gray guessed. "If the borders are open, that makes this a good meeting place... if they have branches all over the continent." He frowned. That kind of scope was... troubling, to put it mildly. Even the Balam guilds had usually operated in a limited area.

Ultear nodded slowly. "I'm more worried that we know so little," she admitted. "It's not just the gatherings in Mikage, those are fairly small. There must also be local branches that they are reporting from, but what is their size? What do they do? We haven't been able to trace them back to anything. That's... odd, you know? If it was just normal smuggling, or even the usual slave trade, we would be able to recognize it at least in general, but this..."

"And you think these Bridge people will know something?"

"Oh, I doubt they know the specifics," Ultear said. "But they obviously know enough to warn their own people away. So they know something."

"So how do you want to play it?" Gray asked. At Ultear's questioning look, he explained, "What's the story we're going with? I know you're good at acting, but I need to prepare myself a bit. Am I the bodyguard? The minion? How dumb should I try to look?"

Ultear smothered another chuckle, and Gray belated realized that was exactly what he'd been aiming for.

"Like before?" Ultear said, laughing a little again. "That was a good attempt, but I'm afraid silently menacing isn't a look you pull off too well. It doesn't suit you, especially not combined with 'dumb brute.' You should stick to looking pretty, honey."

'How can she say this stuff so casually,' Gray wondered helplessly. Whatever expression was on his face made Ultear's smile widen and the corner of her lips twist in way that meant she was definitely laughing at him, not with him.

She was enjoying this far too much, Gray thought, glaring back.

...He didn't want to lose. He definitely didn't want to lose to Ultear — or was it, in front of Ultear?

Either way, Gray made himself smile back, though it was closer to a sharp-edged, challenging smirk. "Seems a bit of a waste," he said. "I can't possible look prettier than you, darling."

As before, the endearment was awkward on his tongue, and he could tell Ultear was barely stopping herself from bursting out laughing. "Oh, but I'm such a mess right now," she demurred. With absolutely fake self-consciousness, she glanced down at the simple dress and shawl she'd procured as a disguise. "I know it's important to be inconspicuous, but it's so unflattering..."

"You look stunning in anything," Gray said, unable to keep the dry tone out of his voice. This was the complete, undeniable truth — Ultear was an incredibly attractive woman. "And in any case, I know what's under the dress. That battlesuit certainly leaves an impression."

What he meant was — 'It certainly shows off your curves,' or maybe, 'It doesn't leave much to the imagination.' Frankly, Gray was grateful he'd been too busy being shocked and then fighting for his life when he saw her in the first version back on Tenrou. Even Lucy's and Erza's occasionally questionable outfits had nothing on that.

Saying that to Ultear was just not quite in his abilities, however.

"In all the best ways, I hope," Ultear said. And of course, to illustrate her point, she ran a hand over her own side, outlining the very curves he'd been doing his best not to think about.

"R-right, definitely."

With absolutely no warning — though they should have seen it coming — it began to pour, rain coming down like a curtain and soaking straight through them.

"Ice Make: Umbrella!" Gray yelled over the staccato pounding. It was a testament to the strength of his Ice Make that the umbrella that appeared in his hand didn't give way in the downpour. At least the rain was cold, so his ice wouldn't melt too quickly.

A sweep of Ultear's hand magicked the water off them. "If we move quickly, we should be able to get out of her range," Ultear said, just barely loud enough to be heard. "And Gray... make the umbrella smaller."

It took him a moment to understand why. "You're evil," Gray sighed. But nonetheless, he did as she said, and Ultear easily used the excuse to press as close to his side as she could.

Poorly hidden behind a tree just down the road, the results of her bludgeon-like tactics were obvious. "Pet names... flirting... even sharing an umbrella..." Juvia moaned, dissolving into the growing puddles at her feet. "Not fair... Juvia wanted to..."

"Hey, Juvia, come on!" Meldy hissed. "Quit it! Juvia, I can't turn into water! Turn it off—!"

~.~.~

Breaking and entering wasn't exactly a new experience for Gray. Being a wizard generally meant doing at least a couple blatantly illegal jobs, most often stealing something from someone just because someone else happened to be willing to pay for it. He'd even gotten pretty good at ice-making master keys and freezing squeaky hinges.

However, Gray couldn't claim to have Ultear's sheer off-handed indifference to it. The absolutely casual way she ice-made a staircase up to the third story window, changed the window's time to when it was open, and then made herself comfortable in the office's plush chair, legs propped up on the mahogany desk, was a something to witness. There was not a shred of reluctance or guilt or fear of being caught in sight.

...They were very nice legs too. Catching himself at the thought, Gray quickly looked away.

Their current plan was to ambush the guild master of Greenbridge in his home office. It wouldn't be long before he arrived, but Gray was grateful for the time to relax a little. This was the first while since they'd started the entire dating ruse that he could be reasonably sure Juvia wasn't watching or listening. Leaning back against a bookcase, he let his shoulders slump.

"...Are you really okay with this?" he asked quietly. "The fake dating thing. Are you sure it doesn't bother you? I didn't think it'd have to go that far."

"I'm fine," Ultear said easily. "I'm used to lying and acting out a part." She smirked a little. "And playing lovey-dovey couple with you is a lot better than pretending to respect a bunch of incompetent old fools. The real question is... are you okay? Did I go too fast for you?"

"It's not like I've never dated before," Gray protested. "I can handle it! It's just... weird. How can you say stuff like that with a straight face?"

"I told you, I'm used to saying things that don't mean anything," Ultear said, her lips twisting. She tried to look comforting, but something about her smile remained unreadable. "Just don't think of it as fake dating then. Think of it as just dating. I asked you out, and now we're together. And if we happen to break up later, that happens too." Her smile turned predatory. "Or is the prospect of dating me so terrible?"

"Of course it's not. Any guy would be lucky to go out with you," Gray said dismissively. "It's just weird because you're acting so... not like you. I can't imagine you'd really be always clinging and touching so much. And cutesy pet names don't suit you at all."

"I suppose so," Ultear conceded. "I wanted to make it as obvious as possible, so she wouldn't be able to miss it... But it looks like we're in the for the long haul no matter what. I'll stop making you uncomfortable."

"It's not... uncomfortable," Gray mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "It's just... Let's take it a little slower. Okay? ...Tear."

He looked sincere and earnest — why wouldn't he, when Ultear told him to treat it like the real thing? Dating him would probably be nice, Ultear thought, melancholy. Some sweet girl who knew how to be just as honest as he was would one day be very happy with him.

"Yeah, okay," she said quietly, "Gray."

Gray broke into a bright grin, feeling inordinately proud of himself. Distantly, he was aware that this was a very bad sign. He paused, something occurring to him. "But I'm the one who asked you, you know," he said.

"If you call that asking," Ultear snorted. "But if you want, I'll let you tell it that way."

Another wave of the angry, intermittent rain pounded against the window.

~.~.~

They had fallen silent and ready when footsteps echoed down the hall. A key slid into the lock and turned. To his credit, the man who stepped inside the office — the master of Greenbridge, his expensive suit barely speckled with stray raindrops — only hesitated for a moment at the sight of them. Regaining his cool, he closed the door behind him and casually dropped onto the couch in the middle of the room.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, reaching over to a decanter of amber liquid on the coffee table and pouring himself a glass. Taking a sip, he gestured with the glass toward Gray and Ultear. "Help yourself, if you'd like. Keeps you warm, on a nasty day like this."

Gray winced internally, long since trained to anticipate Juvia's negative reaction to any comments about rainy days. She wasn't present, of course, but to him at least the rain seemed to intensify for a moment.

"Thank you, but we're quite alright," Ultear said, finally sliding her feet off the desk and leaning forward to watch Greenbridge. "I must admit, I'm impressed by your composure. I expected to have to use a bit more force."

"You wizards are quite forceful," Greenbridge said mildly, taking another drink. "And there's not much we normal folks can do about it and hope to get out unscathed. That's why there's no point in trying to fight... But if you went through all the trouble of meeting me in my own home, then there must be something I can do for you. And I am very, very good at getting things done."

"I'm glad to hear that," Ultear said, returning his insincere smile with one just as empty. "And I'm sure you've been a great help to the cult as well."

Greenbridge paused, glass halfway to his lips. "So it's about them," he mused. "Those are some scary fellows. You understand if I say I couldn't refuse their... requests."

'He's a coward who'll go along with whoever is paying the most or the most immediate threat to his hide,' Gray translated internally. 'If it's some dark cult, he'll do whatever they say so they don't kill him, but now he'll sell them out to avoid angering us too.'

It was infuriating, how petty the man was. He had probably never considered what the cult was doing, or why it needed his services, or how many people it was causing to suffer with his help. But on the other hand, there was no point in getting angry either. There were many people far worse out there.

"Well, I hope you won't be too disappointed to lose a few of those scary fellows as customers," Ultear said. "I'm sure a man as talented as you will be able to fill the gap."

"I have more customers than you realize," Greenbridge said. "Not just here, but in Seven, in Stella, in Fiore, in Pergrande. Avatar is everywhere, and they're always watching."

The man's tone remained even and light, giving no hint of malice or nervousness or fear. He gave away nothing. But before he had even finished speaking, Ultear was on her feet.

Hooded figures armed with swords and spears were pouring out of the shadows and through the walls — it must have been some kind of phasing magic. None of them had an aura worth mentioning, but their numbers, in the confined space, could get them quickly overwhelmed, Gray judged instinctively judging the flow of battle.

And... there was no point in fighting them. Ultear's eyes met Gray's, confirming that they were thinking the same thing.

Without bothering to cast a single spell, they threw themselves out the window and into the rain.

~.~.~

"Juvia won't give up," Juvia muttered into her tankard, hiccupping quietly. "Juvia's love can't lose. Gray-sama is just testing Juvia!"

"I... don't think that's the case," Meldy said. Catching the bartender's eye, she gestured for him to just cut her friend off already. Given the towering stacks of mugs arranged next to Juvia, it should have probably happened a while ago.

"Gray-sama needs to be more honest! Juvia just has to convince Gray-sama to show his real feelings!" Juvia insisted. "Maybe if Juvia gets a truth potion..."

"You can't drug him! Juvia!" Meldy protested, scandalized. "That's not... nice!"

Probably. Admittedly, Meldy didn't really know that much about normal relationships. But she definitely wouldn't want Ultear to get drugged by anyone, or Jellal. And she wouldn't want to be drugged by someone either. It just wouldn't be very nice, no matter how much they loved her — or even if she loved them.

Juvia turned an unfairly betrayed look on her. "Meldy doesn't understand! Juvia loves Gray-sama! Juvia would do anything to be with Gray-sama!"

"I do understand," Meldy said, frowning. "I was willing to do anything for Ul too. You're the one who told me not to! There's things you shouldn't do, even for love!"

They stared at each other, both equally stubborn and miserable. Juvia cracked first. "Juvia is sorry! Please don't be mad at Juvia, Meldy!" she wailed, throwing her arms around her friend.

"I'm sorry too, Juvia!" Meldy sobbed. "It's just, Ultear loves him too! And if they love each other... I just want them to be happy!"

"Why can't Gray-sama be happy with Juvia? It's not fair!"

"You still have me! And your guild! It's gonna be okay," Meldy rubbed her back.

"Meldy... Meldy is such a good friend," Juvia cried into her shoulder. "Meldy's grown up so much!"

The two of them burst into renewed tears. Outside, the rain pounded harder than ever. The bartender pointedly ignored their drama — it was far from the weirdest he'd seen. He also didn't even blink when Meldy went stiff and nearly fell off her stool, and then started talking to herself.

"Ul? Huh, yes! R-right! You... what? We'll be there right away!" Meldy babbled, two fingers pressed to her temple. "Juvia, come on. You have to stand up. We're going to see Gray. Yes, yes, wait, no. No! You can't..."

It was hard to tell who was dragging who as the pair stumbled outside.

~.~.~

"How bad is it?" Gray asked tersely, as their reunited group of four quickly headed out of town and back to the wayhouse they were using as a base.

"Hm? It's not... we might have come on a bit strong, but that's not the issue. We were always going to be found out once we started asking questions," Ultear said distractedly. "No, what I'm concerned about is the size of the operation he implied. We thought that this cult — Avatar — is pretty small, just geographically spread out. Maybe they have connections all over Ishgar, but their actual membership is low. That's what we thought."

Gray nodded slowly. "But if they're actively hiring this smuggling guild..."

"Then they must have a lot of people or goods to move," Ultear finished. "They're not just something Greenbridge knows about, they're large enough to require his services. And they're reliant on him enough to station quite a number of flunkies to watch him. The scope is completely different from what we expected. That's why we need to meet up with the others. We'll need to change our plans."

"We haven't found out anything useful," Gray said, frowning. "What if we fake getting caught? They'll probably want to interrogate us, at least, so they'll take us to a base, or..."

Ultear was shaking her head. "It's too risky. If they were a small group, that would be doable. We could take them out," she said. "But we really have no idea. What if it turns out they've bought or brainwashed half the city? Or if they want to maintain secrecy more than they want information? Also... there's something else I didn't mention, about our end goal here. I'll tell you when we're back, okay?"

Watching their backs, Juvia glowered. "Acting all close... Gray-sama..." she muttered under her breath.

At least her rain had been helping in shaking their pursuers, but as they went on, it would begin to mark their trail too obviously. The love drama was meant to be a small side act in their pursuit of the dark guild, but at this rate it would genuinely put them in danger. Their opponents had suddenly become too formidable to risk dissent in their ranks.

Ultear hadn't wanted to actually hurt Juvia — she was Meldy's friend, and Gray's comrade, and they both cared about her. She had hoped that Juvia would take the hint, but... Safety and their lives had to come before feelings.

If a confrontation was needed, then Ultear would make it happen. It was hardly the first time she played the villain, after all.

Sighing to herself, Ultear made up her mind.

Turning to smile poisonously over her shoulder, she said, "That's right. We're very close." She reached out and took Gray's hand again, making him nearly trip and plant face-first in the mud. "Gray and I are very close, and if you can't deal with that, turn around and head back to your guild. At least you'll be useful decoy that way."

The group came to a sudden halt in the middle of the small back road they had been following. Intensifying rain pounded down mercilessly, but Ultear didn't blink or look away as she stared down Juvia.

Juvia gaped, beginning to tremble in rage. "Juvia would never... abandon Gray-sama!" she protested. "Juvia will always love Gray-sama and be by his side!"

"Don't try to make it sound like loyalty when it's just your selfishness," Ultear said coldly. Gray and Meldy simultaneously winced.

"S-selfish..." Juvia parroted. "Juvia isn't—"

"It's selfishness when you're the only one who wants this," Ultear cut her off. "You're not here to help, or to make Gray happy, or for any reason except yourself. You just don't want to give up, even if you make everyone else miserable and even endanger their lives."

"Juvia isn't..."

"You are. You're endangering the mission, you're endangering Gray and Meldy, you're making trouble for everyone," Ultear said ruthlessly. "How long has everyone had to tiptoe around your feelings because you wouldn't accept the answer you were given? Because you can't even control yourself? Go home before you get someone killed. I'm sure your guild will give you a shoulder to cry on and pamper you when you tell them what a terrible person I am for ruining your delusions of love."

"Ul, that's too much," Meldy murmured.

Gray wanted to agree. But he had a feeling that if he said something now, Juvia would just see it as justifying her refusal to give up. Even if he meant it as only her comrade, he would be stringing her along again. So when Juvia turned wide, pleading eyes toward him, Gray studiously looked away, his jaw clenched.

It hurt. He knew it had to be more painful for Juvia, and even for Ultear, who had to pick up his slack, but it hurt to watch his guildmate's — his friend's — eyes fill up with tears. This was his fault, he should have been more firm from the start, and now...

"Go home," Ultear repeated, watching without sympathy as Juvia hung her head, shoulders shaking.

"...No," Juvia said quietly. Her head snapped up, a harsh glare directed at Ultear. "Juvia won't give up! Juvia will fight for her love—!"

"Juvia."

She fell abruptly silent because it had been Gray who spoke up, finally. He moved between her and Ultear, his expression set and unflinching.

"If you want to fight," he said, his hands coming together and his stance deepening, "I will be your opponent."

Juvia stared at him for a moment, uncomprehending, then her face contorted in fury. "Fine!" she spat. "Juvia has fought Gray-sama before! It's just like then! Gray-sama always fights for Juvia's rivals, but Juvia won't give up! This time, Juvia will win!" Water spiralled around her, coiling like a massive serpent.

"It's not like before," Gray said. He looked straight at her, calmly, and despite herself, Juvia felt her heart skip a beat — again, just like before. "That was for the guild. This time, I'm fighting for my own selfishness. We both are."

It was obvious what he implied — Juvia was fighting for love, which Ultear had called selfish. Gray was the same. And that meant, he too was fighting for... l-lo...

Juvia's lips trembled, her will to fight draining away and leaving her cold.

"Don't follow me anymore, Juvia, and don't wait for me. Just... go home," Gray repeated Ultear's command. "Go to Fairy Tail. Everyone there will—"

A sharp, raw sob cut him off. Without listening further, Juvia turned and ran. The rain came down hard and thick, nearly a waterfall.

Gray flinched, swaying as he tried to simultaneously follow and remain in place. Ultear's hand on his shoulder steadied him, but also made his insides twist with shame, knowing he had dragged her into his mess.

"Meldy, go with her," Ultear called out, raising her voice over the pounding rain.

Meldy, who had been caught between two impulses just like Gray, glanced at her in surprise and hope. "But the mission..."

"I have something for you to do," Ultear said. "Hurry before you lose her."

That was enough for Meldy, and she disappeared into the rain a moment later, leaving Gray and Ultear alone. Gray stared after them, self-recriminations ringing in his mind, until Ultear slipped a hand in the crook of his arm and pulled him along firmly.

"Come on," she said quietly. "Let's go."

Right. They had a job to do, and a cult chasing after them. There would be time to beat himself up later.

Two fingers already reaching up to press against her temple in the gesture for telepathy, Ultear hesitated. "It's..." she said slowly, uncertainly, "it couldn't be helped. It was a bad situation from the start, so... don't blame yourself."

Even though there was no one to fool, she didn't protest when Gray's hand wrapped around hers, holding on tightly.

~.~.~


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

Erza sighed and shook her head, when Gray and Ultear finished relaying their story.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "We... made a mistake as well. Jellal and I went to investigate the monastery in Mikage Forest, as we planned. We managed to avoid setting off any of the traps or leaving any trace of our presence... but there was someone there. Or maybe something. It was a masked enemy. We defeated it, but it... collapsed. There was nothing left except its armor afterwards."

"An enemy? At the monastery? But we have no sign of anyone going in or out between the gathering," Ultear said.

"A guard dog, then?" Gray said. "That means there should have been something for it to guard."

"We searched the building and the grounds, but there was nothing concrete," Jellal said, frowning. "Some torture equipment in the basement, some marks from fires and torches. But no books, notes, ritual objects... nothing to give us a clue to what they are up to."

"I can't believe you guys got to have all the fun," Natsu complained. "How come me and Lucy got stuck with the boring stuff?"

Lucy elbowed him sharply. "We didn't find out anything new from the local towns," she said. "But if the thing you fought wasn't guarding anything, does that mean it was just there to watch for anyone who came snooping around?"

"Most likely," Erza admitted. "And we carelessly set off their trap. It was my mistake."

"Don't worry about it, we did the same thing," Gray said, sighing in frustration.

"And that's what I'm saying! How come you guys got all the good parts?" Natsu grumbled, though this time he was just ignored.

"So what happens now?" Lucy asked. "Do you think they won't come in two weeks like they would have? Or... are they going to come after us? What should we do?"

"Yes, we need to decide our next course of action," Erza agreed. "I believe we should—"

"There's no need," Ultear cut her off, shaking her head. She sighed as everyone turned their attention to her. "The truth is," she said slowly, "that there's something I didn't mention to all of you. Regarding how and why we first began to investigate this cult..."

"Does it have to do with your instructions to Meldy?" Gray asked.

"Yes..." Ultear admitted. "How much do you know about what's going on with the Magic Council right now?"

"Everybody's pissed at them," Natsu summarized succinctly.

Meanwhile, Erza and Lucy exchanged a look, while Jellal watched Ultear with narrowed eyes. "Um... the way I heard it, there's a big scandal because of something the previous chairman hid," Lucy ventured. "He was caught dealing with a dark guild, and when they started digging deeper in his records, they found... some kind of illegal magic being hidden by the Council."

"So that's the public story they're using..." Ultear muttered.

"I heard this only in passing, but what they found is some kind of super weapon," Erza added. "Something worse than Etherion. The League of Guilds is in chaos, I know Master has been away at meetings constantly. The national governments are furious, and the Magic Council has all but suspended operations. The Rune Knights too. There's talk of having an international investigation, and some countries are threatening to withdraw completely."

"It's that bad?" Lucy said, her eyes widening.

"Who cares?" Natsu wondered.

"We care! If the Magic Council is shut down, we won't be able to take jobs anymore!" Lucy rounded on him. "And without the Rune Knights, who's going to enforce law on magic use?"

"Like those guys ever did anything useful," Natsu grumbled, sulking.

"It was annoying, but if the Rune Knights hadn't dragged us off Tenrou after the whole Grimoire Heart thing, we would've still been there when that monster arrived," Gray said. "Be grateful they decided to take us in for questioning."

Natsu scowled, disagreeing — their guild's holy ground had been all but destroyed by the monstrous black dragon Gildarts had lost an arm and a leg to, but to Natsu, it was a missed lead about Igneel, no matter how low his chances of surviving the encounter.

"The League of Guilds is still accepting and processing job requests," Erza went on, ignoring the byplay. "So the guilds can still function, but regarding enforcement against dark guilds and wizard criminals..."

"It's not as bad as it could be," Jellal said pensively. "We've been doing our own hunting, and... Because of the negative feelings toward magic right now, national law enforcement and even armies are on high alert. The first few dark guilds that tried to act up were put down... violently. Countries and their armies aren't interested in following the Magic Council's ban on inter-guild wars, so they're not holding back against anyone who acts out."

There was a few moments of solemn silence as the Fairy Tail members digested the gravity of the current political climate.

"So what?" Natsu finally demanded, losing patience. "Who even cares? Nothing's been different for us, I'm telling you!"

"Well, you've got a point there," Lucy admitted.

"It's because Fiore has such strong legal guilds," Erza said, sighing. "And because we cleared out two of the strongest dark guilds beforehand."

"I think you're underestimating what the chairman was hiding," Ultear said. "Even I hadn't known... Spread out across the entire continent, there's a weapon called Face. It consists of about three thousand monoliths that, when activated, would nullify all magic."

"...What?!" the four fairies burst out.

"I-is that even possible?" Lucy wondered.

"Apparently," Ultear sighed. "It's an ancient weapon that the Magic Council's top chairs have been concealing. You see why everyone who knows is so upset... In any case, that's all just background information. I wanted to make sure you understood the context."

And like that, Ultear turned the conversation back to its original subject.

"Let's go back a bit," she said. "You probably know, I started Crime Sorciere about two years ago, when Meldy and I broke Jellal out of jail. Our goal was to take down dark guilds and cults that the Magic Council and the Rune Knights wouldn't go after. For some initial leads, I used my old connections from Grimoire Heart... but I also had us watch the previous chairman, Crawford Sean."

"Oh... I think I know where this is going," Lucy murmured, nonetheless leaning in and listening attentively. Natsu, whom she was holding on to like they were a couple at a movie, only made a bored face.

"Yes, it's what you think," Ultear said. "I knew from my time on the Council that the chairman was deeply corrupt. So I thought that keeping an eye on him would get us some additional leads. And it did... It got us a lead too big for just Crime Sorciere."

'Too big for Crime Sorciere.' That was an ominous expression. Even if they were only three people, Jellal had been a Wizard Saint and Ultear was just as strong, if not stronger. For them to be outclassed...

"Tartaros," Jellal said quietly. "The last of the Balam heads."

"That's... The chairman was dealing with them?!" Erza exclaimed in shock.

"Yes, that's what we discovered," Ultear said. "We pulled out before finding out all the details, but it seems that Tartaros was interested in Face. Hence, when we tipped off the few actual honest Rune Knights I knew about his betrayal, the truth about Face's existence also came out."

"Wow, you guys really messed up everything, huh?" Natsu said, helpfully. Lucy elbowed him again.

"Well, it's better than a dark guild getting their hands on a super weapon," Erza judged. "It's for the best." She sent a smile to Jellal, who looked relieved at her support of their actions.

"But what does this have to do with the current issue?" Gray said, cutting them back to the original point.

Everyone quieted, their attention focusing on Ultear.

"I'm going to make another deal with the Rune Knights," she said, straightforward. "We're going to trade information about this Avatar cult for a pardon or at least a reduced sentence."

~.~.~

There was a moment of stunned silence.

"Ultear, what are you saying?!" Jellal protested, jumping to his feet. His expression — anger twisted with uncertainty and fear — was the most animated they had seen him since Tower of Heaven. "That's insane! There's no way they'll bargain with us!"

"They will, in this situations," Ultear disagreed. "Right now, the Magic Council and the Rune Knights are acting as two separate institutions. The chairman, Gran Doma, who led the push for stricter measures against criminals like us, has been discredited for helping cover up Face after taking over. The Rune Knights have distanced themselves from the Council, to try to keep functioning, and they will be willing to consider a bargain where they wouldn't have been before."

"But still—!"

"Wouldn't catching three wanted criminals be a big boon to them right now?" Gray asked, cutting across Jellal's protests.

Ultear shook her head. "For them, their foremost goal at the moment is to prove the need for their existence," she said. "Since we've been acting as an independent guild and fighting other criminal elements, we're not seen as an immediate threat to public safety. Catching us wouldn't help them in the eyes of the public or the national governments. Not as much as being able to uncover a widespread cult."

"I see," Erza said slowly. "If the Rune Knights can prove that a threat on that level — deeply magical, across many countries, hidden for so long — exists, that will prove that they are a necessary force of peace. It's valuable information for them."

"That's right. I had hoped to have a bit more to give them, but what we have will be enough to get them started," Ultear said. "We lack the manpower to investigate further effectively, but it's the opposite for the Rune Knights."

Her plan made sense, but... Jellal gritted his teeth. "Are you really just going to give up?" he demanded. "You— You're the one who told me we should atone! And now you're just..." He trailed off angrily, unable to continue.

Ultear sighed. "I did say that," she said. "But I also told you, didn't I? Atoning is just the first step we have to take to move forward. Someday — someday soon — I want you and Meldy to be able to return to the light and live freely."

Watching the two of them stare each other down, Erza smiled faintly. 'I see,' she thought. 'Ultear is also a guild master, after all.'

"It's not like I'm saying to forget all the reason we've been fighting and all the guilt we carry," Ultear said, her gaze still on Jellal, intent. "You can continue to atone and live to do better, without being a criminal. And it's not as if we're likely to get a blanket pardon. We can— will still pay our dues."

"Are you sure you'll be able to make a deal at all? Or at least enough of one to be worth it?" Gray asked. "Given what happened with the old Council, the Rune Knights can't exactly let you off the hook. It'll make them look weak."

"They'll have to take some measures, but I think we can aim for a reduced sentence," Ultear said. "There's everything we've done as Crime Sorciere. For Jellal and Meldy especially. There's no record of Meldy's participation in Grimoire Heart, and I will present the proof that Jellal was not in control of his own actions. Both of them were deceived and controlled by me. So the final sentence should be light — more symbolic than anything."

"My actions were my own," Jellal said sharply, pursing his lips.

"They were not," Ultear refuted. "I understand that you feel guilt for what you did. But you were not in full control of yourself." He tried to protests again, but Ultear cut across him, "I know better than anyone. I was the one who applied the possession magic on you."

"But even so—"

"If that's what you're going to claim, then aren't you basically shouldering all the guilt yourself?" Gray cut through their argument. "Are you planning to take on full responsibility for everything — Etherion, Tower of Heaven, Tenrou?"

Jellal opened his mouth, only to close it again as he glanced between them — only just remembering that, as far as he knew, the two of them were involved. Suddenly, the tension in the air had a very different undertone to it.

"How is that even fair, Tear?" Gray pressed, his tone growing frustrated. "Do you think Meldy will be happy if you go to prison for the rest of your life? Or even get executed? You can't just tell everyone to move forward and live freely, and then do the opposite yourself!"

"I'm confident I can swing less than lifetime imprisonment, or execution," Ultear said lightly. "You underestimate my negotiation skills. And as for the sentence I do receive... Can you really say it will be misplaced? In the end, I bear responsibility for everything that happened. You know that."

Gray threw up his hands in frustration. "No, I don't know that! Because you don't! How old were you back then? You were just a kid, who was lied to and used! Are you really trying to tell me you made that kind of complex magic yourself when you were twelve? It wasn't something you planned or decided. You were just carrying out orders to begin with."

"I was thirteen," Ultear nitpicked automatically. Her eyes narrowed. "But that's not the point. I wasn't coerced into anything. I chose to become a member of Grimoire Heart of my own free will. Everything I did, I did because I chose to. And the things I did were terrible, Gray. You don't know the extent of my sins."

The two of them glared at each other, neither willing to back down.

In the background, Erza turned to give Jellal a questioning look and received some arcane gesture in return. It seemed to mean something to her, as her eyebrows rose in surprise. She nodded in understanding, apparently satisfied and instead turned to Lucy, who was shooting her an equally questioning look. Another gesture, and Lucy winced for some reason.

Natsu, who had been observing the entire exchange, just looked incredibly confused. But when he opened his mouth to ask, Lucy quickly elbowed him into silence.

"So what if I don't know?" Gray continued the argument. "That doesn't change how hypocritical you're acting. Are you thinking something like, 'My sins are so much heavier than theirs, I must atone with my life?' Do you think sins are something you can just weigh against each other? It doesn't work like that!"

"Oh, really," Ultear huffed, crossing her arms. "You're acting like I'm going to heroically sacrifice myself. I'm telling you, I'm going to make a deal for myself too. It's just a matter of being realistic and weighing the potential benefits against the risks. This is the best opportunity we're likely to have, to clear our names. I'm going to take it — I've already sent Meldy to contact them, so it's too late to back out, either way."

Gray's eyes narrowed, as he stared doubtfully at Ultear. He couldn't form an argument against what she was saying, but he couldn't quite believe her either — would she really do everything she could for her own future as well?

Scrambling and hissed complaints broke through the tense silence. "-Ow, Lucy! Quit hitting me!" Natsu protested, fending off his partners attempts to silence him. "Are we seriously — Lucy, quit it! — just giving up? That's dumb! We should take out this cult or whatever, and then it'll all be fine, right?"

Sighing, Erza reached over to nail Natsu across the head, hard enough to make him faceplant into the floor. "While it would improve our position if we had something more to give the Rune Knights, we have no leads," she said. "We don't have anyone to fight. Do you understand?"

Natsu glowered at her, tears of pain in the corners of his eyes.

"...No, the flame-brain is right," Gray said, managing to mostly keep down the instinctive twitch when Erza turned on him. "We've still got some time before the Rune Knights respond, so we should use it wisely."

"And I'm saying we have no leads—" Erza scowled, always a bit displeased at being contradicted.

"We have one — the monastery," Gray said. "I know you didn't find anything. But if they bothered leaving a guard dog, they must be watching. Why don't we go stir up some more trouble, and see what comes out? It's not like there's a reason to hold back at this point."

"There's also no reason to needlessly endanger ourselves," Ultear shot back.

But this time, she was swiftly overruled.

"Yeah, let's do it! About time!" Natsu cheered. Lucy only sighed, giving up on controlling him.

Erza nodded as well. "I suppose we might as well," she said. "After all, they're already aware of our investigations."

Huffing in frustration at their foolish — if, in retrospect, not surprising — recklessness, Ultear turned to Jellal. She had expected him to also be against it, against troubling Erza any further, if nothing else, but he only smiled back. If anything, he looked a bit smug or perhaps self-satisfied. Rebellious.

'Oh, really...' Ultear thought. 'Now is when he chooses to grow a backbone?'

"I agree," Jellal said, looking Ultear square in the eye — almost challenging. "We should do everything we can to make sure your plan is a success, and that we all take one more step toward freeing ourselves of our sins."

In other words, he accepted her plan and wouldn't fight against it. But he also agreed with Gray — he'd be watching to make sure she fought for herself just as much as she did for him and Meldy.

She'd brought it on herself, really.

~.~.~

"I owe Cana 5000 Jewel now," Lucy sighed.

"You bet against Cana? That wasn't very smart," Gray said distractedly, as they readied for their journey to Mikage Forest. "She cheats."

"So she did ask you before making the bet? I should have known," Lucy muttered.

"Ask me what?"

"About you and Ultear," Lucy said. "Cana bet me that you're dating, but — like an idiot — I bet you weren't."

With a strangled noise, Gray fumbled the rope he had been checking. "D-dating? Me and Ultear?" he parroted. "We're not— well, I guess we are... kind of?"

In all the excitement, he'd forgotten about that. Juvia — his gut twisted miserably at the thought — knew to give up now. He couldn't make it clearer than that. So there wasn't really any point in continuing their charade. But they also hadn't actually... broken it off, as such.

"Wait, that's not important," he protested. "We weren't dating last time you saw Cana! She was totally wrong!"

"So you two just got together? Congratulations!" Lucy beamed, before suddenly drooping again. "Oh, but she won't believe me if I say that... Or she'll insist it still counts, or something."

"That's why you shouldn't bet with her. She cheats," Gray repeated, but his mind wasn't on Lucy's troubles.

Were he and Ultear dating still? Ultear had said she had another reason for agreeing to go along with him, and it seemed like she'd at least told Meldy and probably Jellal, so if they just stopped, it would be strange, right? And Ultear had told him to treat it like they were dating for real, so it wasn't like they'd drop it without talking about it, right?

Caught up in his thoughts, it took him a while to realize that Lucy was watching him with clear amusement.

"Right. I need to go and... do a thing," Gray said, awkwardly. "See you later."

"See you later," Lucy echoed, very obviously struggling not to smirk at him.

He found Ultear deep in strategy talk with Erza and Jellal — who also shot him annoyingly amused looks when they noticed him hovering uncertainly by the door. Erza, in particular, had her best "proud older sister" face on, which never failed to make Gray feel like doing something inappropriate just to make it stop.

"We've made every preparation we can," Jellal said finally. "Let's turn in for the night. Tomorrow, we'll head for the monastery."

He and Erza headed out, but not before Erza stopped to give Gray a few last words of advice. "Make sure you get some rest," she said, meaningfully. "Don't stay up all night." She clapped him on the shoulder — hard enough to bruise, of course — and followed Jellal into the corridor.

Gray stared after her in confusion for a long moment before he finally understood what she was getting at. "Erza—!" he hissed in pointless protest, flushing crimson, but Erza was long since gone. Running a hand over his face, Gray took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure — painfully aware the entire time that Ultear was waiting patiently.

"Well, that's what we get, I guess," Ultear said, conversationally. When Gray finally managed to look at her without wanting to combust, she was smiling wryly. "But please try to endure it a little longer," she continued. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't break up with me until I get arrested. It might send a bad message to Jellal and Meldy."

"Break up?" Gray muttered, making a face at that — and at "arrested."

"More like a necessary, mutual parting," Ultear suggested. "Very moving, but unavoidable. You can claim to be still very hung up on me, if that girl gets any ideas about being your rebound."

Making another face at the mention of Juvia, Gray said, "Won't that still send a bad message? Maybe it's better if we keep dating until you get out of jail."

Ultear's eyes narrowed as they got into another stare off. She could see what he was trying to pull — if she replied that there was no telling how long that would be, they'd just circle back around to arguing about her entire plan again. "Don't be like that," she sighed. "You might fall in love for real, you know. And then we'll both be in a tough spot."

"I'm not going to fall in love," Gray grumbled. "You sound like Juvia."

The expression Ultear shot him was deeply exasperated. "Let me put it more simply," she said, tone dry. "I'm dumping you when I turn myself in. For your own good."

"Like Jellal, then," Gray said, knowing he was being annoying and refusing to back down all the same. "You have a fiance too?"

Ultear's lips twitched despite herself. She and Meldy had given Jellal so much grief about his... ill-advised comment to Erza the last time Crime Sorciere had run into Fairy Tail's strongest team. "She told you about that?" she said instead. "I suppose you're right that it wouldn't be the best example, but..."

"Then let's not break up," Gray said. "I don't mind waiting. I'll be waiting for you either way."

For a moment, Ultear stared at him, trying to figure out if he was acting or joking about their romance charade. But no, Gray must have meant it. He was just that kind of person.

Ultear sighed again, exasperated — but secretly a little glad.

"And if you're so worried, then make sure you come back quickly," Gray concluded, arms crossed and nodding to himself.

He looked annoyingly pleased with himself. There was no way she could let that pass.

Raising her eyebrows, Ultear shot back, "Yes, it would be terrible to leave my boyfriend lonely for too long — with only his right hand to keep him company."

There was something very satisfying about watching Gray choke on his spit, sputter, and turn red.

"I wonder if they expect us to share a bed at this point," Ultear went on, no longer able to hide her smirk. "Or maybe it's the opposite, and Titania will separate us by force..."

Apparently reaching his limit, Gray turned a glare and a sharp, strained smile on her. "Oh no," he said, struggling to keep his tone equally light, "I'm sure Erza will understand that I want to cuddle with - _my girlfriend_ -."

He said the last two words pointedly, like he thought he was going to make Ultear back out. His expression was childishly rebellious.

To start with, trying to play some kind of fake romance chicken was a poor idea, especially because Ultear had already demonstrated that she was the cooler, more experienced one. But, male pride and all that. He absolutely had no idea what he was getting into. Ultear's eyebrows couldn't go higher, and her cheeks were starting to strain from how widely she was grinning.

"Okay," she said, savoring the momentary look of startled panic as Gray remembered who he was dealing with. "I'd love to cuddle with - _my boyfriend_ -." Passing by him on her way to the door, she slipped in one last parting shot. "Do try to keep your clothes on. We wouldn't want to scandalize your friends too much..."

Instinctively, Gray patted his chest — only to realize he had indeed lost his shirt somewhere. His flustered search for it made Ultear laugh, unable to hold back anymore.

~.~.~

They didn't "cuddle" or share a bed. Erza had been right, they needed rest, and Ultear had a feeling Gray wouldn't have gotten a wink of sleep with her pressed up against him.

Instead, in the morning, they set out toward Mikage Forest and the abandoned monastery at the center.

"This place is really creepy," Lucy muttered, glancing around nervously as they stepped down the narrow path winding its way between the withered, twisted trees. There was nothing green left in the forest, and even the clear sky above looked grayed out and somber.

"Very atmospheric," Gray agreed dryly. "Works well for all your evil cult meeting needs."

"According to the locals, this forest began to die about a century ago," Erza explained, from where she was leading the party. "The well at the monastery went dry as well, and it was abandoned. The underground stream that flowed beneath here must have dried up. There weren't any stories of mysterious deaths or illnesses, so it doesn't seem as if any foul magic was at play."

"So it really is just for the atmosphere?" Lucy said.

"Lame," Gray echoed.

"You haven't been in a dark guild, so you wouldn't understand, but atmosphere is very important," Ultear said lightly. "You can't have a meeting about blood sacrifices and ruling the world at a beach resort, you know. It just doesn't work out."

"Sounds like a bad deal," Gray shot back. "If you're going to have to listen to boring speeches about evil gods, it should be at least somewhere nice and scenic."

"I know, I know," Ultear sighed theatrically. "But ancient crumbling ruins have their own appeal..."

"Not quite as much as swimsuits and tropical drinks would, I'd wager," Gray said.

"True. It's been so long since I've had the chance to put on a swimsuit."

"That's definitely a shame..."

Behind their backs, the others exchanged a variety of long suffering looks. Erza appeared to be caught somewhere between secondhand embarrassment and frustration, while Jellal was struggling to keep a straight face despite the way his lips kept twitching in amusement. "It's like listening to Levy and Gajeel," Lucy muttered under her breath, drawing a blank look from Natsu.

"Really? I think they sound more like Bisca and Alzack," he said, far too loudly.

"They loooove each other," Happy agreed, though he wisely hovered well out of reach.

Gray spun around to glare at Natsu, opening his mouth to protest — then oddly pausing, eyes narrowed, as he reconsidered his response. "Well," Gray said finally, in a pointed tone, "what's so weird about sounding like a couple when I talk to my girlfriend?"

"It's not weird, it's annoying," Lucy corrected, throwing up her hands. "No matter how cute a couple you are, stop rubbing my singleness in my face!"

Erza cleared her throat. "Indeed. While I'm very happy for you, Gray," she said, "we're on a mission. This is not the time to flirt — no matter what the books say." She didn't sound entirely sure, glancing at Jellal for support, but he only raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

"Well, I'm sure you know what you're doing, Ultear," he said mildly. His tone was neutral, but Ultear couldn't reading some hidden message in it, and she stared back with narrowed eyes. He definitely disapproved, but of what?

"You sound dumb," Natsu said flatly, firmly catching Gray's attention. The two of them scowled at each other, drifting closer until they were nearly grinding their foreheads together. Erza watched them closely, reading herself to interfere if they dared to actually start a fight. On the other hand, Lucy just edged away, knowing there was no helping those two when they got like that.

Letting Fairy Tail's strongest team act out their usual skit, Ultear dropped back until she was next to Jellal. She studied him for a moment, reading something in his bland expression. Sighing, she said quietly, "Don't you start too, I already heard this from Gray. No matter what I say, he absolutely refuses to give up on me. He's really so..." She trailed off with another sigh.

"Mm," Jellal made a sound of agreement, his eyes softening as his gaze darted toward Erza. "They're like that, aren't they? Strong and kind and constant — those who live in the light. But I understand now." Turning to Ultear, he smiled. "The way to repay their support is to hurry and catch up to them. Maybe it's selfish, but... I want to walk beside her. I want to be able to lend her strength as she's done for me."

'Hurry and catch up to them.'

'Make sure you come back quickly.'

"...So that's how it is," Ultear murmured. "I think... I'd like that too."

"Enough!" Erza exclaimed up ahead. Grabbing Gray with one hand, Natsu with the other, she smashed their heads together and left them to stagger, groaning and clutching their skulls. "We're on a mission. No fighting — save it for our opponents."

"You save it," Natsu muttered rebelliously, only to cower when pinned with a sharp look from Erza.

Looking at Jellal with a very serious expression, Ultear said, "Good luck. You'll need it." Somehow, Jellal didn't seem to mind.

~.~.~


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4 (final)**

The monastery in the middle of Mikage Forest still made for an impressive if ominous sight. The grounds were almost entirely overrun with dry, twisted trees and their broken branches, but the main building was in the same ornate style as Kardia Cathedral. Even with most of the stained glass broken, the majesty and detail of the carved stone facade endured.

"Creepy," Gray and Lucy muttered in sync, their heads craned back to look up at the cathedral building.

"Smells weird," Natsu added, frowning.

He didn't elaborate, ignoring the questioning looks he received in favor of sniffing the air and wandering ahead, his expression intent. Exchanging a look, Erza and Lucy followed. Jellal trailed after them, keeping a careful eye on their surroundings.

"So there's no history of strange events at this place? No hidden skeletons? It seems an awfully fancy place to be in the middle of nowhere like this," Gray said quietly, to Ultear.

"We looked into that," she confirmed. "But it really seems to have been just a Zentopia monastery. Well, rather than particularly monastic, it seems to have been more like a... retirement home for wealthy noble patrons. Even though it looks like this now, Mikage was once very lush and pleasant. There was even a hot spring not too far from here."

Gray made a quiet noise of acknowledgement. "So the reason they chose this place is probably precisely because there's nothing interesting about it — no connection to them," he surmised. He made a face at the prospect.

"There's likely some connection somewhere," Ultear said, sounding equally unenthused. "I doubt they stumbled here completely by chance. But it's probably something tangential and so deeply hidden that we'll never find it. That's why—"

Both of them tensed for an instance, as the magical auras of their friends flared, and took off at a run — the other team had run into trouble. All the same, Gray smirked thinly at the prospect. That meant there was something here after all.

They burst into the cathedral only to come to an abrupt halt. The rest of their group was ready for action, but only ready. Arrayed in a semi-circle, Natsu, Erza, Lucy and Jellal were locked in a standoff with a strange figure that stood in front the altar at the other end of the building.

Completely covered in black and scattered places of armor, their opponent could have been a human or a golem, with no way to judge. It remained completely motionless, the mask hiding even the direction of its gaze.

"That's the same one Erza and I ran into before," Jellal said quietly, as Ultear and Gray made their way to the unmarked line. "But when we defeated it, it just... fell apart."

"It must be a familiar, or a projection," Ultear judged. "Should we destroy it again?"

"Might as well, I suppose," Jellal judged.

"I'll do it," Erza said calmly. Her armor switched to Heaven's Wheel in a flash, making the strange guardian's head turn toward her, but she didn't give it a chance to act. Half a dozen silver swords plunged into the black body, which shuddered with each blow and sagged abruptly.

It was clear now what she and Jellal had meant by the guardian "falling apart" — the black suit... deflated, like it had been empty all along, the mask and the armor pieces falling off to clatter across the stone floor. Once Erza's swords withdrew, gathering behind her again, the black cloth — or perhaps skin — pooled on the floor like a shadow.

"Is that it?" Natsu complained. "That's pathetic."

"...No," Erza said, her swords slowly rearranging around her — facing outward. "It seems not."

"I wonder if this is new, or if we just missed it because we retreated so quickly last time," Jellal said conversationally, as he too turned to face the shadowed alcoves of the cathedral. The others followed his example, their line moving to form a circle, their backs to each other.

Numerous dark figures had begun to crawl out of from behind the pillars and cracked statues, each one exactly the same as the defeated guardian. Others clung to the ceiling or the walls, like giant, misshapen spiders. They moved completely silently, the weight of their eyeless stares pressing down on the group in the center.

It was hard to gauge their exact numbers, but even faced with a swarm of the strange beings, no one showed much concern. Given the caliber of wizards on the team and the apparent weakness of the enemies, they would likely be able to retreat at the very least, if it came down to it.

But running away wouldn't get them anything either.

"Do you think there's a limited number left behind, or are they being created by a continuous spell?" Gray asked quietly, to Ultear.

"Who cares? We'll beat them all either way!" Natsu called back, his sharp ears easily picking up the words. A wild grin was spreading across his face, as he finally found himself in his element — an all out brawl.

"Very well," Erza judged, a much smaller, tight smile on her lips. "Let's try that approach."

"Alright! Let's gooo—" Natsu roared, lunging for the nearest enemy...

Only to crash face-first into a translucent wall. He stumbled back with a yelp, clutching his crushed nose.

Erza reacted the fastest, her silver swords shooting out in every direction — only to collide with a grinding screech against more magical walls that flickered into view all around them. "Barrier Magic?" she muttered, drawing back her weapons.

They were completely boxed in, but the same couldn't be said of their enemies. One of the black guardians lunged for them and, unlike Natsu, it passed seamlessly through the magic wall. Scowling furiously, Natsu kicked it back out, but the other black forms followed quickly and the small circle within the barrier quickly became crowded and chaotic.

"Argh! I've had enough! Fire Dragon's—"

"Wait!"

"—Roar!"

Heedless of his friends' protests, Natsu unleashed a blast of fire. It swirled up against the barrier and turned back onto them, also trapped within.

"Ice Make: Instant Freeze!" Gray countered, dousing the flames with skill born of practice. "You idiot! Be careful, or you'll fry us too!"

"Tch!" Natsu clicked his tongue irritably, but drew back.

"What do we? There's more of things coming!" Lucy fretted, clutching her whip but hesitating to use it in the confined space. Summoning another body didn't seem like a smart move either, leaving her to retreat into the center.

"Break through," Ultear judged. Her Ark of Time enveloped one of the black figures, causing it to collapse in on itself. Whatever they were, they didn't count as human, at least. "If we concentrate our attacks on one portion of the barrier, we should be able to break through it."

That would require them to be stronger than the barrier's caster, but given their team, Ultear was confident they could manage.

"Leave it to us," Jellal said — Erza moving to his side.

Light engulfed them both, Erza requipping into her Morning Star armor, Jellal activating Meteor. They crashed into the magic wall like two shooting stars, making the entire cathedral tremble. They were halted for a moment — but only a moment, before the barrier cracked and then shattered.

The others dashed after them, through the opening they had created, while Erza and Jellal quickly cleared a path through the black guardians. This time, the group scattered in pairs, to avoid getting boxed in again.

Gray followed after Ultear, forming a sword to bash aside an enemy that tried to jump them when Ultear paused for a moment. She swept out her hand, sending a wave of magic over the entire building. The black guardians popped as Time of Ark reduced them to their prior state — all except for one. The last masked figure only rolled its shoulders and turned its hidden face toward her.

"That must be the real one," Ultear said. "I can't affect him... so the others are a form of replication magic of some sort, or perhaps clones."

"Who cares? As long as we take that one, we win!" Natsu yelled. Fist aflame, he charged forward again.

And crashed into another magic barrier, again. He stumbled back, swearing.

No one paid him much mind. Their attention was fixed on the cathedral's altar, where the last black guardian stood — and where another figure had appeared beside it. Also masked, but far more human-like, the man was dressed in the robes of a priest and held a staff in his hand. His heavy breath rattled through his metal faceplate, which had been carved in the shape of a bearded face.

Ultear narrowed her eyes, a sense of familiarity nagging at the back of her mind.

"Is that...?" Erza began to ask.

"Yes, he's making the magic barriers," Jellal confirmed quietly. "But it's a Thought Projection. He must be skilled to use magic through it." It was a difficult ability to master, though it had been vital for the charade of 'Siegrain' that Jellal had once pulled on the Magic Council.

"D-6, withdraw," the man spoke, his voice rattling through his mask. "The heretics of Crime Sorciere are beyond your ability."

The single remaining black guardian — D-6 — ducked its head. "Yes, Lord Arlock," it said in an unexpectedly smooth, even voice. It, or perhaps he, bowed in acknowledgment of the priest's order and allowed its shape to collapse like the other copies had. The empty black skin and the armor that clattered to the floor both slowly dissolved into inky shadows that seeped between the floor stones and disappeared completely.

Slamming a flaming fist into the magic barrier, Natsu yelled, "Get back here, you coward! Face us for real!"

Gray groaned under his breath, and Lucy facepalmed in frustration, but fortunately for Natsu, Erza ignored his outburst, keeping her attention focused on the priest, Arlock. If he was a Thought Projection as Jellal said, they had no way of stopping from vanishing at any moment. Why had he remained even after dismissing his minion? Was he planning to trigger a trap? Was he going to fish for information? Or did he just want to taunt them?

"It seems you've heard of us," Ultear spoke up, in a casual tone. "It's an honor to have drawn Avatar's attention."

Arlock let out another shuddering exhale. "Few who walk the dark road have not heard of you heretics," he said, his voice hollow and grating. "Not only failing to achieve your aims, but even turning against your master and becoming an attack dog for those of the light... Hades was a fool to take one of such weak mind into his confidence."

Gray wasn't the only one in the group to scowl and glare at him for those words, but Ultear herself kept a blank, neutral expression as she gazed back at him. "You're right, our plans failed," she said calmly. "And so will yours. We will stop you."

"You know nothing of our goals, girl," Arlock said. "We will not fail as Grimoire Heart did. We will transform this world. But there is no need for a heretic like you to witness it. This place shall be your grave!"

He had slowly raised his staff as he spoke and, at the last word, brought it down sharply, the tip striking the floor stones with a gong-like sound.

A crushing weight slammed down on them, pressing them into the ground. Another magic wall, this one horizontal, pushed them down so they had no leverage for an attack to break it. Arlock's staff clanged again, and the entire cathedral shuddered. With a deafening rumbling, the ceiling cracked and began to crumble.

Lucy let out a short, startled shriek as a chunk of rubble crashed next to her, passing through the magic barrier pinning them down. They had to do something; the next boulder might not miss.

"Lucy! Damn it!" Natsu yelled, his flames flaring instinctively.

"Idiot! Stop!" Gray yelled back.

As before, the fire spread out beneath the wall first, nearly swallowing the group. There was no room to maneuver, and the chances of hitting each other were high, pressed together so closely.

Using Ark of Time, Ultear tried to return the building to its untouched state — the ceiling and the walls reversing their fall and trying to reassemble. But before the arches and buttresses could reform, they seemed to hit something that sent them falling again. The reason for the collapse in the first place — another magic barrier that had broken down the ceiling and now continued to descend, crushing Ultear's efforts to hold up the building.

"We have to—" Erza tried to say.

"I've got it!" Lucy called out. "Virgo! Go under!"

With a chorus of startled yelps and a sound like a jackhammer, the group dropped into a series of perfectly round holes, connected by a round tunnel. Sweeping her hand out quickly, Ultear closed them up again, just as the cathedral finally crumbled above.

"A crushing punishment, Princess?" Virgo commented in her usual way. "How cruel."

Lucy ignored her remarks. "Virgo, can you dig us a way out? Somewhere beyond the monastery grounds," she said.

"As you wish, Princess," Virgo bowed and, with the same drilling sound, vanished in a flurry of loose dirt.

~.~.~

The cathedral and the rest of the monastery complex had been completely levelled, leaving little more than a uniform layer of rubble across the grounds. Arlock's Thought Projection was long gone as well, of course.

Gray cursed under his breath, brushing dirt off his bare shoulders irritably. "So much for that," he said. "There goes our last lead."

The others winced in frustration as well. They'd come out of it more or less unharmed, but also with nothing to show for it, aside from a couple of names.

"Do you think there's any point in restoring the monastery and looking around again?" Jellal asked Ultear.

Strangely, she smirked. "There no need," Ultear said, sounding far too satisfied. "I think I've got everything I need." Looking around at the confused faces, she raised an eyebrow. "You must have noticed. He said he knew of us, but he focused on me — and on Hades."

Jellal nodded thoughtfully. "Generally, I am the more infamous criminal," he agreed. "So you've seen him before, when you were with Grimoire Heart?"

"I wasn't sure at first, but it came back after a while," Ultear said. "It was a long time ago. He wasn't wearing a mask back then. But I'm sure it's him. He came to see Hades, to read some of his rare dark magic tomes. Hades had the greatest collection of forbidden texts on this continent... and that man was interested in a very specific set."

"You think that's what their cult is after too?" Gray guessed.

"That's right. That man was researching summoning — summoning gods, specifically," Ultear said. "He was obsessed with returning the world to the age of divinity, as he called it. It would certainly make the basis for a cult's doctrine. Thinking back on it, the descriptions we got from Greenbridge match up to several high ranking members in Grimoire Heart who weren't at Tenrou, too. He would must folded them in afterward Hades died... Well, with all that, we've got a much clearer picture, wouldn't you say?"

Her smile widened a little at Gray's hopeful expression. "Then, with the Rune Knights..." he started to say.

"I still have a few good pieces of blackmail," Ultear said. "Together with this, I'll work something out." More gently, she added, "I'll do everything I can, I promise."

She could see he understood. Some tension in his shoulders eased as he smiled at her in return, and even if it was selfish, Ultear felt like she had made the right choice, somewhere.

For several long moments, they were content to simply gaze at each other, until Ultear became aware of the approving, amused, and bored stares on them. The rest of the group was watching them with varying degrees of patience, unwilling to interrupt the moment between the two supposed lovers. Finally noticing the same thing, Gray cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Then let's get going," he said. "You said you have a contact in the Rune Knights?"

"I do," Ultear said. "But first, do you want your coat back?"

Gray glanced back at her, puzzled. His gaze slowly panned down, and he realized what she'd meant. As usual, he had stripped off his jacket — and Ultear had picked it up, putting it on herself.

There was an inordinately long pause, as Gray stared at her. "...No," he said finally, as if in a daze. "Keep it."

That was the last straw. "Enough flirting already!" Natsu yelled. "Let's go!"

"We weren't—" Gray tried to protest.

"You really were," Lucy assured him, smirking.

"It's cute," Erza said, in a tone that was probably meant to be comforting. "I'm happy for you."

Jellal just smiled knowingly at Ultear. It felt a bit like karma — she'd wanted him to be more confident and independent instead of just following her lead, but now that he was, she just kind of wanted to punch him.

Friends were a terrible thing to have. Boyfriends — even worse.

~.~.~

As instructed, Meldy had arranged the meeting. The time and place were decided, and there was no backing out now.

Ultear would go alone. There had been protests, of course, but it was the most logical course of action. Fairy Tail was a legal guild, and they could ill afford to be caught openly associating with even an "independent" group like Crime Sorciere. And if negotiations did fall through, Ultear had pointed out a bit wryly, she'd be counting on Jellal and Meldy to bail her out.

Fairy Tail would depart come morning, and Ultear would set out to meet her contact. But before then, there was one last thing she had to do.

She had decided, after all, to move forward without regrets, or things left unsaid.

Gray walked silently next to her as they made their way out onto an empty path, in the woods behind the clearing where their group had camped out for the night. She could feel him watching her, trying to guess why she had asked him to come with her alone.

Finally, Ultear drew to a stop and turned to face him. "We need to decide what we're going to do — regarding our relationship," she said, firmly. "Tomorrow..."

Gray clicked his tongue irritably. "I already said I'll wait, I don't care. If this is about how I might fall in love or something, it's not —" he started to protest, but Ultear held up a hand to stop him.

"If it was just a game of pretend, I wouldn't care," she said. "I think we've both achieved what we set out to do, so it doesn't really matter how we end it... or that's how it would be. But it's different if there's honest feelings behind it."

Her brow furrowed when Gray flinched, his expression becoming tight and a little pained. "That's... You're right, I should have said something," he muttered, looking away. "It's taking advantage, if I'm..."

He trailed off, looking troubled and guilty — and that hadn't been what Ultear was aiming for at all.

"Gray," Ultear said slowly, "I was talking about me."

There was a moment of stunned silence as her meaning sank in.

"W-what..."

"The one taking advantage was me. From the start, I haven't been honest with you," Ultear went on. "I didn't say anything, didn't plan to say anything, because it seemed like a meaningless dead end. But I always... I've always..." She sighed in frustration. "I can't find the words..."

Hesitantly, she studied Gray's expression. He was staring at her, wide-eyed and too stunned to accept or reject her words — her confession.

Of course he was stunned. Ultear had always been good at hiding her thoughts and feelings. It wasn't fair to just dump this on him, but... she didn't want to keep quiet either. Just this once, she wanted to be selfish about these feelings.

Reaching out slowly, giving him time to pull away, she rested one hand on his cheek, the other on his shoulder. Face tilted up, she closed the distance — softly pressing her lips to his.

There was no one watching. There was no need to play pretend. This wasn't for that, not for anyone's benefit, not part of any scheme. This time, Ultear savored the brief, gentle contact, the way Gray's soft exhale fanned against her cheeks, the way he canted his head to fit his lips better to hers, the warm touch of his hands over her sides.

Reluctantly, Ultear drew back. But... not too far. The hands on her waist tightened, and Ultear looked at Gray in bemusement.

He had opened his eyes, but refused to look anywhere close to her direction, ducking his head and turning away. "...I don't know either," Gray mumbled, barely audible. "I don't know how to put it in words. I just know... I like kissing you. It's embarrassing, but I like holding hands with you, I like being next to you. I want to spend more time with you... I don't want to, to break up."

"...Oh," Ultear murmured. Sliding her hand along his cheek, she ran her thumb over the red blush that was blooming over his cheekbones. "Oh."

"If it's falling in love..." Gray went on, still avoiding her eyes, "I already... I'm already..." It was his turn to sigh in frustration, words failing him. Dropping his forehead onto her shoulder, he muttered, "I want to see you again. I'll wait, Tear... okay?"

"Okay," Ultear whispered, slipping her hand through his hair and pressing her cheek against him. "Then I'll come back quickly, I promise."

Yes, she wanted to hurry and catch up to him. She wanted to walk in the light too, side by side.

So they could be together — for real.

~.~.~


End file.
